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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Two players registered 17 or more kills, eight players finished with two or more digs, six players had an assists and six players recorded a block, but the Eastern Kentucky volleyball team couldn’t hold off a rally by Southeast Missouri State and fell 3-2 in the conference opener for both teams Friday. Game scores were 25-27, 21-25, 25-6, 25-19, 15-11.

Lindsey Loescher led the Colonels (1-9, 0-1 OVC) with 19 kills. She added nine digs and three block assists. Amanda Wilson finished with 17 kills and four block assists. Freshman Jill Henneman turned in a career-best 36 assists.

Claire Keaton led the Redhawks (3-4, 1-0 OVC) with a match-high 24 kills and a team-best 13 digs.

After Southeast Missouri won the first point of the match, the Colonels rolled off six straight points and never trailed the rest of the first set. A 5-0 run, including kills by Loescher and Wilson and an ace from Kelsey Rose, doubled a five-point EKU lead to 20-10. The Redhawks answered with a 14-4 run that ultimately tied up the match. The run included six straight SEMO points, four of which came off of Eastern attack errors. Keaton tied the match at 24-24 and again at 25-25. Following Keaton’s last kill, back-to-back kills by Wilson ended the match in favor of the Colonels.

Eastern Kentucky trailed only once in the second set. After SEMO tied the set at 17-17 the Colonels won five of the next seven points to put some distance between the two teams. A Redhawk attack error gave EKU set point at 24-20. Two plays later, Hannah Groudle gave Eastern a 2-0 lead with a kill to end the set.

The Colonels hit .378 in the second set, committing only two errors in 37 attacks. Wilson, a senior, had 10 kills, only one error and a .692 hitting percentage through the first two sets.

Southeast Missouri responded well after intermission. The Redhawks jumped out to a 10-2 lead and never looked back, taking the set 25-6. After hitting .378 in the second set, the Colonels dropped to -.136 in the third set. SEMO did not commit an attack error in the third set and hit .524.

The Redhawks continued their hot play into the fourth set. The Colonels were down by three, 13-10, when Southeast went on a 5-1 run to grab control. Karleigh DeLong had two kills during the run. EKU never threatened the rest of the set. The Redhawks continued their hot hitting, posting a .324 attack percentage in the fourth set. Amanda Rickhoff’s kill gave Southeast Missouri a 25-19 set four win and forced a decisive set five.

The Colonels scored the first two points of the fifth set and led by three, 7-4, after a SEMO attack error. The Redhawks scored five of the next six points to take a one-point advantage, 9-8. EKU’s last lead, 10-9, came off of a Groudle kill. Southeast scored five straight to get to match-point. Keaton’s kill gave the Redhawks the set, 15-11, and the match.

Eastern hit .143 for the match. Southeast Missouri posted a .241 attack percentage.

The Colonels will conclude their two-match road trip on Saturday at Eastern Illinois. The match in Charleston, Ill., is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. (ET).